Burncoat High School

Matt Allen

Matt joined the team as a Junior in the fall of 2006. In that time he worked tirelessly on the robot and cheered in the stands. He graduated from Burncoat High School in 2008 and went to Cornell University where he will be graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in the Spring.

Once he graduates he will be working at Moog in Buffalo, NY. We caught up with Matt to see how he is doing.

Years on Team

What are you currently doing?

Matt is the third from the left.

I am currently in my senior year at Cornell University studying mechanical engineering. After graduating I will be working at Moog in Buffalo. Moog is a worldwide designer, manufacturer, and integrator of precision motion control products and systems. At Moog I will be working in the department of commercial aircraft, designing parts to be used on planes such as the Boeing 787. These components will be used to actuate (or move) the flight control surfaces, e.g. ailerons, rudder, flaps and slats of the aircraft to maintain orientation and heading. As the safety of passengers and crew are paramount, all components must be robust, precise, and well tested.

For the past 3 years at Cornell I have been a member of one of our own “Engineering Project Teams,” Baja SAE. Springing off of my experience on the Green Reapers Robotics Team, I’ve been helping to design, build, and race a 4 wheeled off-road racing vehicle. We build about 90% of the components in house with the use of mill, lathe and CNC machining, TIG welding, and various other shop tools. This past year’s car was the lightest ever in our competition’s history at just under 300 lbs! This year we are striving to claim the highest award in Baja SAE, the Iron Team Award, by scoring the highest cumulatively over 3 national competitions. Being on the team has taken a huge effort, but has had even greater rewards!

How has your experience on the team helped to get you where you are now?

The hands on experience is huge for understanding concepts and theoretical problems. It prepared me to work on the team environment of the Cornell Baja SAE team. Now I am one of its team leaders.

What was the most fun part about being on the team?

Seeing the robot come alive and function exactly as it is intended to.